Treasure-box



(No Model.)

B. N. HAYES 8: V."A. SAUER.

TREASURE BOX.

Patented July 13, 1886.

A NITE Starts ArnNr Fries.

ELBERT NEWTON HAYES AND VEN ANT AUGUST SAUER, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

TREASURE-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 345,302, dated July 13, 1886.

Application filed March 27, 1886. Serial No. 196,822. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ELBERT NEWTON HAYES and VENANT AUGUST SAUER, citizens of the United States, residingat Houston, in the county of Harris and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Treasure-Boxes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Our invention relates to a portable treasurebox; and it consists of the peculiar and novel construction and combination of parts, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The primary object of our invention is to provide a portable receptacle or box for con taining jewelry, money, or other valuable articles, which is especially adapted for use by travelers who are obliged to carry valuable articles.

The device is provided with means for giving an alarm when an attempt is made to enter the same; and it also has a device for clamping it to the berth or other part of the apartment in which the traveler lodges, so that when the alarm sounds he is awakened, and thus notified of an attempt at robbery.

The device is especially adapted to be clamped to the inner face of a bed-rail, adjacent to the mattress thereof, so that it cannot be reached without awakening the traveler; and it is further provided with means which prevent the clamping device from being operated to detach the box without first opening the same, as will be more fully presently described.

The device is very simple, strong, and durable in construction, thoroughly effective for the purposes designed, easy and ready of adjustment, and cheap and inexpensive of manufacture.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of our invention applied to a bed-rail. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the device, taken through the middle thereof, showing the lid closed. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective of the removable escutcheon or slide. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective View of the alarm device. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the detent for the clamping dev1ce.

Referring to the drawings, in which like let ters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures, A designates the receptacle or box of our invention, which is of any preferable form and size, so as to render it portable and easily carried. As shown in the accompanying drawings, the box A is made square in form; but we would have it understood that we do not limit ourselves to making the same of the shape and size shown herein. The box A is made of metal, for the purpose of strength and durability, and it is provided with an open side or end, a, that is closed by a door or lid, 13, which is hinged at one edge to one of the adjacent edges of the box, as at b, and is adapted to lie flush Within the surrounding edges of the box. The free edge of this lid or cover carries a lock, B, of any preferred or common form, that is to be unlocked by a suitable key, and the bolt of this lock enters a recess, 1), in the box or receptacle, which. thus forms or provides a keeper for the bolt. The cover or lid is reduced at its free edge to form an abutment or shoulder, c, which is beveled or inclined, as

shown, and the edge of the box that lies ad- 7 jacent the free edge of the lid or cover when it is closed is also inclined or beveled at c, as will be more clearly seen in Fig. 2.

D designates a removable escutcheon or slide, that is inclined at its edges to correspond to the inclination of the beveled edges of the cover and box, in which the escutcheon is secured by sliding it longitudinally therein, so that it covers and conceals the key-hole to the lock B and lies flush with the outer face of the lid or cover and the beveled edge of the box, so as to'present a surface that is practically unbroken. The inner face of this slide or escutcheon is provided with a series of teeth or serrations, (I, that are spaced apart at suitable intervals and provided with square abutments or shoulders and inclined or beveled faces.

E designates a bell-hammer, that is secured on the inner face of the hinged lid or cover at the end thereof from which the sliding escutcheon is withdrawn. This bell-hammer is of any preferred form, and it isnormally kept out of engagement with a gong or bell, F, that is also secured on the inner face of the cover IOO or lid in close proximity to the bell-hammer to be struck thereby to give the alarm, this bell and the hammer constituting the alarm mechanism, that is actuated by the sliding escutcheon when it is withdrawn from the box.

As shown herein, the bell-hammer'is formed from a single piece of spring metal that is bent to form an arm, 6, which is suitably secured to the cover, and a vibrating arm, e, bent so as to present one of its edges to act on the edge of the bell in close proximity thereto, the.

free end of the vibrating arm havinga tongue, e that projects through a slot in the cover or lid and into the path or plane of movement of the teeth or serrations on the sliding es cutcheon.

It will be seen that when the'escutcheon is withdrawn from the box or receptacle its squared shoulders will be successively brought into contact with the tongue of the vibrating arm e, so as to cause it to rapidly strike the bell, and thus give an alarm to awaken the person and notify him that the box has been tampered with. The beveled or inclined faces of the teeth or serrations enable the escutcheon to be easily and readily adjusted or fitted in place, and the escutcheon is provided with a suitable handle for its convenient manipulation.

F designates the clamping device for securing the box or receptacle upon a bed-rail or other place near the traveler. This clamping device consists of a bar or rod, G, that bears against the box, and is provided at one end with an arm, g, that carries the teeth or claws 9, that take very firmly into the rail or other place, and a standard or arm, G, which has a threaded bearing or socket, in which works an adjusting screw or bolt, H, that is provided at one end with a hand-wheel, h, or other suitable device for its proper rotation. This standard G bears against one of the walls of the box or receptacle, and the "free end of the adjusting screw or bolt passes through an opening in the-box or receptacle, the extreme inner end thereof bearing against one of the walls of the box or receptacle when the screw is adjusted to clamp the box to the bed-rail or other place. This adjusting bolt or screw is provided near its free end with angular shoulders h, that are cut or formed therein, and with these shoulders engages the'notched or cut end of a detent, I, that is suitably secured on the inner faces of the box or receptacle A. This detent is provided with beveled sides '5, that work or are fitted in a recessed portion, 1, of the box, and having beveled or inclined sides to securely retain the same in place, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5,) while permitting it to move freely therein. This detent is normally pressed in the path of the hinged edge of the lid or cover when the latter is opened by means of a spring, 1 of proper form, and when the cover is closed it forces the recessed or notched end i of the movable detent into engagement with the angular shoulders of the binding-screw, to prevent the rotation of the latter, the hand-wheel .or handle of the binding-screw being provided with suitable notches, j, for indicating when the angular shoulders of said screw are uppermost to properly engage the notched end of the detent.

The box or receptacle is provided with a suitable handle, so that it can be conveniently and easily carried, and it may be provided with suitable compartments for the reception of jewelry, money, and other-valuables.

The operation of our invention is as follows: \Vhen the traveler retires to bed, he deposits his jewelry and other valuables in the box or receptacle so that they are free from contact with the alarm mechanism or devices. The recep: tacle is now placed against the inner face of the bed-rail, adjacent the mattress, so as to be wholly and completely concealed from view, and the clamping bar or arm adjusted around the rail and box, and the clamping-screw adjusted to securely afiix the receptacle to the bed-rail, the detent being held out of contact with the squared portion of the bolt by means of its spring, and the lid of the receptacle re maining open to permit of such movement of I the detent. The lid is now closed and forces the detent in engagement with the angular shoulders of the bolt to prevent rotation thereof, and after the lid has been locked the .escutcheon is placed or adjusted in position. It will thus beseen that the box cannot be opened without operating the alarm mechanism, and that the same cannot be detached until thelid is opened and the detent withdrawn. The improved treasure-box can also be employed around the dwelling for the safe deposit of valuables, and it can be clamped to any piece of furniture or the like adjacent the bed.

We do not desire to limit ourselves to the precise details of construction and formand proportion of parts herein shown and described as an embodiment of our invention, as we are aware that many changes therein can be made without departing from the principle or sacrificing the advantages thereof.

Having thus fully described our invention, .what we claimasnew, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a portable treasure-box, the combination of a receptacle having aslot, an alarm mechanism concealed within the receptacle, and having a vibrating arm normally projected through the slot of the receptacle, and a sliding escutcheon carried by the box or receptacle, and having a series of teeth or serrations that strike the vibrating arm of the alarm mechanism to actuate the latter, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a portable treasure-box, a receptacle havinga swinging door or lid and the beveled edges 0 c, in combination with an alarm mechanism carried by the door orlid and concealed within the case when the latter is closed, and provided with a vibrating arm extended through the slot of the door, and a longitudi- ICC nally-movable escutcheon fitted on the grooves of the receptacle and the door, andhaving the teeth or serrations on its inner concealed face adapted to actuate the vibrating arm of the alarm mechanism, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a portable receptacle provided with a swingingv door having a locking device, of a longitudinally-movable escutcheon having the teeth or serrations carried by the receptacle, and wholly concealing the locking device and its key-opening from view, and an alarm mechanism concealed within the case, and having a vibrating arm projecting through the case and arranged in the path of the teeth of the escutcheon, substantially as described.

4. In a portable treasure-box, the combination of a receptacle, an alarm device concealed within the same, a sliding escutcheon carried by the receptacle for actuating the alarm device, a clamping bar or rod having the angular serrated or toothed arm 9 at one end, and the standard G at the opposite end, and a bindingscrew working in an opening of the standard and entering the receptacle, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

5. In a portable treasure-box, the combination,with a receptacle having a hinged cover carrying a bell, and a spring-actuated vibrating arm provided with a projecting tongue, of a sliding escutcheon fitted in inclined edges of the cover and receptacle, and provided with beveled shoulders for actuating the vibrating arm, substantially as described.

6. In a portable treasure-box, the combina- 3 5 tion of areceptacle, a clamping-bar, a bindingscrew entering the receptacle, and a detent carried by the receptacle and engaging the screw, substantially as described.

7. In a portable treasure-box, the combina- 40 tion of a receptacle, a clamping bar or rod, a binding-screw having the angular shoulders, and a movable notched detent carried by the receptacle and engaging the shouldered screw, substantially as described.

8. Ina portable treasure-box, the combina tion of a receptacle having a hinged lid, a notched detent fitted and movable in grooves in the said receptacle, a spring for normally holding the detent in the path of the lid, a clamping-bar, and a shouldered binding-screw carried by said bar, substantially as described.

9. In a portable treasure-box, the combination of a box having a hinged lid carrying the alarm mechanism and aremovable escutcheon, a springactuated notched detent, a clamping bar having an arm provided with teeth or claws, and a shouldered binding-screw carried by a similar arm of the bar, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ELBERI NEWTON HAYES. VEN ANT AUGUST SAUER. Witnesses:

F. M. CoLmNs, R. E. LEwIs. 

